Sri Ganesha's Names

Aum. Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश ) is know by many names, titles and epilates. His most common names are Ganesha, Ganesh, Ganapati, and Pillaiyar. The Hindu title of respect 'Sri' is often added before his name. Because Ganesha is worshiped in many counties, he may have a different name in different languages and dialects. While in North India the Hindi word Ganesha is used; A prominent name for Ganesha in South India is the Tamil, Pillaiyar - “Little Child” . Other names describe specific qualities of his likeness and personality. The names Gajanana - “Elephant-faced” and Lambodara – “Big Bellied Lord” describe obvious features of his physical form. Some of Ganesha’s names were given to honor specific events in his life. Ganesha acquired the name Ekadanta – “Single Tusked Lord” after breaking his tusk in battle. (See Ganesha Stories).

One popular way to worship Ganesha is chanting the Ganesha Sahasranama. Literally "The Thousand Names of Ganesha". Each name in the Sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolizes a different aspect of Ganesha. One version of the Sahasranama is drawn from the Hindu scripture, Ganesha Purana. Another shorter list is called the ashtottara-shata-nāma stotras, with 108 traditional names for Ganesha.

The Amarakosha, part of an ancient Sanskrit text, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha:

Vinayaka (Lord of Obstacles)

Vighnarāja (also meaning Lord of Obstacles)

Dvaimātura (He who has two mothers)

Gaṇādhipa (Lord of the Ganas)

Ekadanta (He who has one tusk)

Heramba (Mother's Beloved Son)

Lambodara (He who has a potbelly)

Gajanana (He who has the face of an elephant)

To give the reader a taste of the diversity of Ganesha’s many titles and nick-names, here is a short list of common names along with there meanings. To read the complete list of 108 traditional names and learn more about the origin and etymology of Ganesha’s names please follow the links listed below.